Kandy

Kandy is not merely a city — it is the beating spiritual heart of Sri Lanka. For centuries, this hill capital was the last bastion of indigenous rule against Portuguese, Dutch, and British invaders, and the sacred relic housed here was the reason kings fought and died. The Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic (Sri Dalada Maligawa) contains what Buddhists believe is the Buddha's left canine tooth, brought to Sri Lanka in the 4th century hidden in the hair of a princess. This relic is the spiritual anchor of an entire nation, and the temple complex, with its golden roofs, carved ivory, and lakefront setting, is as moving for non-Buddhists as it is for pilgrims. Beyond the temple, Kandy offers the Royal Botanical Gardens at Peradeniya — 147 acres of manicured tropical paradise — and the frenetic, colorful streets of the city center where vendors sell everything from handloom sarongs to steaming kottu roti. Time your visit with the Esala Perahera in July or August, and you will witness one of the grandest religious processions on Earth: hundreds of caparisoned elephants, fire dancers, drummers, and acrobats parading through the torch-lit streets in honor of the Sacred Tooth.